


love to give

by pepsipink



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Family Fluff, M/M, Mentions Of Gender Dysphoria, Pregnancy, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-28
Updated: 2017-11-28
Packaged: 2019-02-08 03:28:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12855771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pepsipink/pseuds/pepsipink
Summary: “I like the idea of having a girl. She grows up to be tall, and she’s got hair like yours, but it’s black. She’s stubborn as hell, but she’s pure sunshine.”“And you love her unconditionally.”“You do too.” Noctis says, “Even if she’s a little too much like me, at times.”Gladio chuckles, shifting in his position. He rests his head against Noctis’s chest, arms wrapped around him tightly.“Then let’s make it real. I have a lot of love to give, Noct.”[for GladNoct Week - Day 3]





	love to give

**Author's Note:**

> i was initially gonna post this on free day but i was like "belly bulge works here too" so :')
> 
> anyway - another Too Long fic where i shove a baby in noctis!   
> noctis is a transman, au where he uhhhh doesn't die. there are slight mentions of gender dysphoria in this fic, but aren't graphically described. w/ that said, i'm of the not-cis variety myself, so i made an effort to try and make this as chill as possible.   
> also au where i shave him once and for all
> 
> i hope you enjoy! <3

Loneliness seemed like a pretty stupid concept when you were King.

It wasn’t necessarily the usual loneliness that one would experience, as Noctis was surrounded by people practically 24/7. It wasn’t loneliness in the sense that he felt that he didn’t have anybody there for him – it was different. This feeling was deeper, and he really couldn’t pinpoint exactly why it was affecting him the way it did.

He has this feeling deep in his gut that hurts when he goes out. He sees parents with their children all the time, yet now it felt different. It had been 10 years since his father’s death, and he thinks that maybe he’s just missing him – that he sees these families and it hurts because it’s something he only got a select number of times a month. This sentiment feels stupid, because of course he misses his father – but there’s no bitterness or yearning for him to make up for lost time. His father’s absence as a child hurt, but it was a sacrifice that had to be made, and his death hurt even more – but everything was done for the sake of humanity.

It’s… stressful for him to think about.

It doesn’t really hit him hard until he’s around his loved ones. Iris’s twins have finally started crawling, and Gladio is the most enthusiastic uncle on the planet. He holds Aries in his arms, cooing at the amber eyed boy, while Prompto chases after Atlas who is crawling down one of the halls of the citadel while Iris sits back and laughs – mentioning to Noctis that Gladio was always a sucker for small, cute things – and Noctis’s heart aches even more than it had been within the few months he’d been feeling this way.

He finds himself in bed later that night, clutching onto one of the pillows that Gladio regularly slept on when he was actually able to spend the evening with his lover.

It would be too scandalous – he and Gladio weren’t married, and didn’t necessarily plan to ever do so. Noctis did need an heir, but he was never sure how to go about it – he had no qualms with bearing a child on his own, but having a prince who transitioned at the age of 15 was probably rough enough on Lucis’s older, less accepting community – and then having a prince who didn’t conform what so _ever_ to masculinity was a much more confusing concept. Noctis was lucky enough that his father was so accepting, and that Insomnia was already leading a fairly inclusive history regarding this kind of stuff.

Now Noctis, Lucis’s 30 year old leader, bearing a child? Maybe it’s overkill.

Noctis doesn’t know if he cares though.

He peaks his head up when he hears the door to his bedroom open, spotting his familiar six foot six partner trying to sneak his way into the bathroom presumably to change out of his uniform.

“Gladio?” 

He hears shuffling come from the bathroom, light peaking out from underneath the door. It creaks open, and Gladio pops his head out, shocked and confused that Noctis was even awake.

“Uh.”

“You didn’t wake me. I can’t sleep.”

His lover chuckles and dips back out, taking a moment to clean himself up and slip into something a little more comfortable.

He looks so goddamn exhausted; Noctis knows better than to ask Gladio for any sort of love making on the day he had a stupidly long shift – for once, Noctis just wants to talk with him. It always felt like a gamble when it came to discussing these sorts of things with him – as was the marriage discussion which ended… awkwardly, the ultimate decision being that it might be a little odd for publicity that knew of the Amicitia’s history and their relationship to the Caelum family.

With a baby, however, Noctis knew he wouldn’t have to disclose the father to the public if he didn’t want to. Sure, tabloids would pry, but ultimately any child that Noctis bore would be legitimate, and there wouldn’t be any need.

Noctis sits up once Gladio joins him in bed, and he feels his arms wrap around his torso, putting him into his embrace.

“You very rarely can’t sleep. What’s buggin’ ya?”

He can’t help but chuckle, tucking his head underneath Gladio’s chin. He closes his eyes, taking a deep breath as he attempts to get his thoughts together.

When it hit him, he determined that he did… really want a family of his own. He wanted children – one that he could care for and put all of his love and affection into. It wasn’t even that he was all that fond of them – he was terrible at communicating with kids, even when he was younger. But he can’t shake this feeling – it’s been persistent for months.

“Dunno – I’m getting older, yunno?”

“Yeah – but you don’t gotta worry about that pesky ring anymore. You only get better with age.”

“Ah, well.” He shrugs his shoulder, “Thanks – you too. But, it’s… not really that.”

“Is that so?”

“It’s stupid – I just – I got reminded about… having an heir again.”

“Hm. I mean, don’t stress about it. You’ve got plenty of time to figure that out.”

Noctis shakes Gladio off of him, sinking deep into the sheets of his bed. He stares up at the ceiling, running a hand through his messied black hair. It leaves Gladio perplexed as he joins him under the covers, propping himself up on one elbow. He caresses Noctis’s face gently with his hand, features smooth against his skin. Blue eyes flash in his direction, an expression Gladio can’t quite read.

“If you want me to be perfectly honest, I probably would’ve had one years ago if I didn’t get sucked into that damn crystal.” Noctis laughs, “I wanted to be really irresponsible – piss dad off. All those times we had those scares were the most exciting times of my life. I wanted nothing more than for it to be real – then I’d get my goddamn cycle and it was back to square one.”

“Holy shit – are you serious? Why the hell would you have wanted to give your dad a fuckin’ heart attack?”

“Would’ve forced him to pay a little more attention to me, I think.”

“Fair…” Gladio rolls onto his back, perplexed. “Are you sayin’ that you want one, then?”

Noct doesn’t make a sound, furrowing his brows. Being outright about it felt so goddamn weird.

“I think I really do. And it’s really goddamn confusing. I just – I saw you with Iris’s kids… and fuck, I dunno… it just really did something to me. I kept thinking about how bad I wanted it – I don’t care how bad it would fuck me up. If I get a kid out of it, then it’s worth it. I can’t stop thinking about it and it hurts like hell.” 

Gladio is quiet, arms positioned behind his head.

“I’m sorry. It’s stupid – I’m being selfish.”

“You’re not being selfish.” He finally speaks after what seemed like eons of silence, “You’d make a great parent.”

Noct sort of laughs in disbelief, turning his gaze towards his lover.

“This is a lot to ask – but would you give that to me?” He asks, his heart racing as he finally finds the confidence. “Not… tonight, necessarily… but – I dunno. Maybe we can start trying.”

“You sure about that? Really doesn’t sound like a lot of fun – bearing any of my kids, at least.”

Noctis closes his eyes as he finally finds sleep tugging at his consciousness. He just needed that _yes_ to be satisfied – he couldn’t conquer this alone.

“I like the idea of having a girl. She grows up to be tall, and she’s got hair like yours, but it’s black. She’s stubborn as hell, but she’s pure sunshine.”

“And you love her unconditionally.”

“You do too.” He says, “Even if she’s a little too much like me, at times.”

Gladio chuckles, shifting in his position. He rests his head against Noctis’s chest, arms wrapped around him tightly.

“Then let’s make it real. I have a lot of love to give, Noct.”

 

* * *

 

The feeling doesn’t fade the next day, or week, or month for that matter. It’s strong as ever, and the more and more the two of them try, the more excited he gets for his future. He’s tired from the high demand as king of a nation that was wrought with darkness – but he doesn’t give up hope.

He sits at the desk in his bedroom, keeping tabs on his email regarding the restoration process – anything at all to keep himself occupied, yet his door swings open and he doesn’t flinch.

He feels arms wrap around his waist, Gladio having snuck up on him from behind. His neck is littered with kisses, and he knows it’s time to stop being king for a little while.

Gladio always paid an obsessive amount of attention to Noctis’s body.

He’s laid on the bed, clothing being carefully removed and set aside as if the clothing was just as royal as Noctis was. His hands explore Noct’s muscular frame, admiring the careful sculpting that Gladio had trained into him. His androgynous features were always appealing, and Gladio was guilty of focusing on his strength rather than keeping Noctis thin. His ten year absence wasn’t exactly unkind to his features, as he matured into something truly otherworldly – even if he still managed to look like a cosmic mess at times.

His youth was restored to him once the ring was destroyed, the bags under his eyes having finally disappeared, and his somewhat sickly pale complexion had finally regained his more olive colored skin tone – once the sun began to rise and fall at normal intervals.

Noctis’s shirt is lifted from his torso, free from the confines of his binder, giving Gladio more to gawk at. His chest heaves once he realizes that they were going in another time – how dedicated Gladio is to their cause. They said that making the baby was best part of pregnancy, and though Noctis couldn’t really attest to however many months remained – he felt as though that thought was certainly on the right track.

Gladio kisses at Noctis’s still flat belly, feeling his lover shudder underneath him. His beard tickles at his soft skin, earning quiet laughter from his king – hands thread through his hair, petting it back now that it was loose from his ponytail. Gladio carefully slips Noct out of his boxers, tugging them off his legs and onto the floor. Kisses linger downward as he his lips meet with Noctis’s clit, gently sucking and swirling his tongue around it. Noctis moans, feeling the pleasure course through his body. Gladio pulls back and smirks, giving Noct’s thighs a squeeze.

It doesn’t take much to lift Noct into his arms and onto his lap. Their lips are locked together for moments at a time, parting only to find the air to breathe.

“I have a good feeling about tonight.”

Noctis meets his lover’s gaze, chuckling at Gladio’s smug expression. He smiles, gently rubbing Gladio’s chest as he adjusts himself on his lap. He’s positioned over Gladio’s cock, feeling the tip press into his entrance – he takes a deep breath before Gladio guides Noctis’s hips to meet his own, taking his lover to the hilt.

He grinds into Gladio with everything he’s got, taking it slow at first, adjusting to the feeling. They’d been going at it practically every night, it felt like clockwork at this point, yet it never stopped feeling good.

They’re quick about it, the goal always to make sure that Noct was getting the most out of their nights. Gladio supports his lover with his hands on his hips, pressing into him while Noctis keeps a steady rhythm from up top. Noctis wraps his arms around Gladio’s neck, pressing his face into his chest as they rock their bodies together. Noctis cries out, overwhelmed by the sensation, the tightening in his lower belly is so much he can hardly concentrate, with Gladio taking the reins to help him along to his orgasm.

He’s held tightly against Gladio’s chest, clutching onto him with everything he’s got as he finds his release.

Noctis doesn’t give up though, thrusting his hips to ride out his orgasm, squeezing tightly around Gladio’s cock. He cries out, shuddering when his lover hits deep inside of him, vision gone white – Gladio cums not moments after, spilling into Noct’s core, clutching onto his hips so tightly he wouldn’t be surprised if he left bruises.

Kisses are peppered against Noctis’s cheeks, his lips. Gladio cradles his face in his hands, their bodies still connected as they catch their breath. Blue eyes remain closed as Noctis is laid back against the mattress – he stays put, listening to Gladio’s shuffling as he pulls from out of his lover, a pillow is shoved underneath his tailbone, keeping his hips hiked up – as if this was going to do anything.

Noctis does laugh at Gladio’s effort, though. As silly as it was, the notion was endearing.

“You do this every night. It feels so fucking gross.”

Gladio chuckles, taking a spot back by Noctis’s side. He runs a hand through his black hair, pushing his bangs from his face.

“I’ll clean you up in a little bit. Your thighs are still trembling.”

“Tends to feel a little bit raw after like, four nights in a row.”

“C’mon, you’ve done more.” He lays close to his king, shifting in order to pull Noctis to his chest. “Sorry, I hate leaving you cold and naked.”

“And dripping cum.”

“I don’t hate doing that, actually.” Gladio flashes a smile, earning a playful shove.

 

* * *

 

 

A few weeks pass before Noctis finally deduces that something’s up. 

He feels… particularly awful, but he had fit a pregnancy test into his schedule just a few days from now. Not that peeing on a stick took up all that much time, he just figured that the longer he waited, the more sure the results would be.

It probably wasn’t necessary, considering how he could hardly move from his desk without feeling nauseas.

It all starts to make sense; the fact that wearing his binder made him feel like he wanted to rip his skin off, the queasiness, the heart palpitations – he initially attributed all of it to kingly stress. Noctis wasn’t too prone to sickness, but he was a victim of anxiety so it made sense not to think too much of it. A stupid decision for someone who was actively trying to conceive a baby.

He mentions to Ignis in passing that he’s been feeling ill, and to cancel any public appearances he had later in the day – or to send someone, likely Prompto, in his place. Ignis of course responds by shoveling ginger into every drink that Noctis is going to consume within the next 24 hours, and Noctis thinks it’s funny because Ignis has no idea that any of this is going on.

Noctis does not ask to see a doctor – he wants to keep this under wraps until he feels confident about it. He trusts his caretakers, and he knows that they would never leak any of this information out and to the public, but it still feels important for him to do this for himself – to tell his loved ones on his own terms, and then to carry on any public announcements when he saw fit. He instead, tells Ignis that he’s going to lay low for a few hours – try to sleep off the nausea.

Which was only half true.

His room is dimly lit, his blackout curtains block out any traces of the sun because of how calculated his sleeping conditions had to be. Rest could wait, though.

He stares at the ugly pink box that he snagged from the medical wing just a week ago. It was awkward, and he waited a good twenty minutes before sprinting off with one just so nobody would see, yet he was still grateful that they were free to take so he wouldn’t have had to take the awkward route of asking for one at any nearby pharmacy. He could do this in the privacy of his own bathroom.

He could do this.

The instructions were pretty straight forward, and he’s already peeled himself out of his raiment and into something he could actually take a nap in. He follows through with them, setting the stick aside once all was said and done. Three minutes and he gets his answer. Noctis stares at it sitting on the counter, the timer on his phone set leaving him to wait.

It absolutely feels like an eternity.

He feels pretty at peace with the whole ordeal. He knows that most people find this process to be excruciating, and full of anxiety, and though he’s nervous, he feels pretty confident. This is something he wanted – something he was looking forward to. He meant every word when he spoke to Gladio that night – truthfully he didn’t care if he bore a boy or a girl, he just wanted a family. He’d love his child unconditionally – he’d let them know every day of their life. There was no sense of uncertainty, or doubt. He knows he wants this.

Noctis is ready.

At that moment, he hears his phone go off, and his heart leaps in his chest – yet it’s not the timer, which nearly makes his head explode – but it’s a text from Gladio. Ignis told him that he was feeling ill, and that he wanted to make sure that they were still on for dinner, but it would’ve been totally okay if Noctis needed to skip, and maybe Gladio could bring him some soup (that Ignis made) later on in the day. The adrenaline is still running through his veins, and he can’t think of anything _nice_ to say because his mind was too clouded from the thought of this damn pregnancy test, so he sets his phone back down – even though he knows Gladio can tell that Noctis saw the message because of the text receipts, and it’ll probably prompt Gladio to text him seven more times in a row.

He sits on the rug positioned by his sink, back against the wall – now feeling even more nauseas than he had been, thanks to the excitement. He has to take deep breaths, head buried in his hands, but by the time he relaxes, his phone goes off again, and this time it’s not Gladio.

He practically stumbles forward, knocking the box off the counter in an effort to get to the test. Vision is blurry for a moment, but the response window has the results.

“Two lines… means you’re – “

Noctis drops the stick on the ground, flinging himself over to the toilet.

 

* * *

 

Noctis never knew how this moment was going to play out because he always figured it’d have been an accident back when he was like, 19. 

He knows for a fact that if he hadn’t gotten sucked into that crystal that he would’ve had an oops or two. Though he didn’t have a lot of faith in his rowdy young adult self, he managed to hold off until now, when it was entirely planned, and definitely happening.

He’d been MIA from the public for three days because of intense morning sickness, but nobody knew. Gladio was acting more dense than usual, and hadn’t even questioned Noctis’s _mysterious illness_. He tried to cut him some slack because Noctis almost missed the signs too, just because he was so fucking busy with all of his royal duties. Gladio also needed to be told things in the most straightforward manner possible, every day – all the time.

Ignis, on the other hand, was way too suspicious.

Noctis works very hard to get himself dressed and out of bed on the fourth day because people were starting to talk. Ignis knows that he’s been consistently nauseas, and hasn’t eaten many heavy meals since it started. He knows that certain scents set Noctis off, to the point where Ignis takes it upon himself to cook Noctis’s meals while all of this is going on.

Logically, Noctis knows that Ignis will probably be the first to find out – and he was sort of okay with that. He just… doesn’t want Ignis to find out by accident. He’s not trying to hide this from anybody, he just wants to come out about it by his own terms.

Noctis is greeted in his office by Ignis, who presents a light breakfast consisting of some toast, and a light yogurt with some fresh fruit. It was vomit proof – Ignis working around Noctis’s morning sickness in a way that didn’t make it obvious that Ignis knew. Noct at least appreciated the effort Ignis was putting into being subtle. He thanks him, even though he’s not that hungry, but once he takes that first bite it hits him all at once.

“We’ve all been a bit worried. It’s been quite some time since you’ve been ill.”

“I was trapped in a crystal for ten years – I’m sure I would’ve gotten sick a few times had it not been for that.”

Ignis laughs, sitting opposite his king at his desk.

“I only express my concern because you haven’t been to a doctor. It would be good to, at the very least, get the proper diagnosis so you can be treated, would it not?”

Noctis shrugs, dipping into the remainder of his breakfast. He shoves a spoonful of yogurt into his mouth so he doesn’t have to answer – he’d see a doctor after he told Gladio – which would be soon. He swore.

“Noct, listen… those ten years you disappeared were very… taxing. On all of us.” Ignis leans forward on the surface of his desk, “The idea of losing you once more isn’t something I like to think about – I just think it’d be good if you – “

Noctis practically spits out his strawberries in an attempt to hold back his laughter. He knows that his disappearance and subsequent near death sent his loved ones into shambles, and it was absolutely nothing to laugh about and make light of – yet Ignis thinking that some queasiness meant that Noctis was once again on the brink of death was sort of hilarious when, in fact, the very opposite of death was happening to him as they spoke.

“I’m not _dying_ , Ignis.” He gathers himself after receiving a rather puzzled, and offended look from his advisor. “Sorry, sorry – I’m fine. I mean it. I’m not trying to keep anything from you, but – “

“It’s somewhat hard to trust you.” Ignis sighs, “I mean no offense – but you’re… still quite reckless.”

“Please, Iggy? I’m fine – I just need like, two days to gather myself. Does that sound good?”

He watches Ignis’s posture deflate, taking a long minute to try and get past his anxiety. Eventually the bespectacled advisor tilts his head back up, a hand adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

“Two days – I will haunt you relentlessly if you do not speak up by then, majesty, do you understand?”

Noctis cracks a smile, holding his cup of coffee to his lips.

“I embrace it.”

 

* * *

 

 

It’s day seven of his absence from the public, and day five since discovering his pregnancy. He’s a bit more bubbly than he usually was, much to practically everyone’s chagrin. Today is the day he tells Gladio, who is sort of done with Noctis’s sick shit – because he ‘should’a saw a doctor, for fucks sake.’ And all Noctis did was laugh in response, because he’s _super_ humored by everyone’s attitude. 

Noctis is excited to get this over and done with, though, because his body feels like hell.

His chest _hurts_ , which is more annoying than anything else. He didn’t necessarily attribute his dysphoria there, since he didn’t have all that much to begin with, but he was hoping that during the whole process he could get away with wearing his binder for the first few months. It was supposed to settle after he reached the second trimester, he read that much, and he was willing to put up with it even if it wouldn’t be comfortable – he was just frustrated that he couldn’t find _physical_ comfort even in his most casual clothing.

There’s the fatigue, which had always been an issue for Noctis, yet now it was at tenfold and one cup of coffee would not be enough to sustain him.

Seeing a doctor, would at the very least, help him cope with all the awful early pregnancy side effects.

It’s midmorning and he finds himself in front of his mirror.

His body absolutely looks the same, if not a bit thinner. It’s hard to imagine that he’s got a little person low in his belly.

“You better like attention, kiddo, ‘cuz you’re gonna be getting a lot of it.”

He gives his stomach a gentle rub, a smile tugging at his lips. He’s swift to dress himself up in wear that was a bit more formal for his duties, throwing a poncho styled sweater over his shirt, enabling him to wear loose fitting clothing for the day, while still being able to wear his royal garment on his shoulders.

He’s spotted in the halls of the main floor, where he was going to be briefed on everything he’s missed, which hopefully was just information about the restoration process, and imports from the other territories of Lucis that were slowly but surely getting back on their feet. An easy day for someone who was preparing to get back in the swing of things within the next 24 hours.

Gladio surprises him from behind, a hand landing on Noct’s shoulder – he feigns being shocked, shrugging his lover off of him.

“Back on your feet today, huh?”

“Sure is nice to see you. Been avoiding me all this time?”

He shrugs, a sheepish smile on his face. They both halt their motions, standing inches apart in the middle of the hall.

“Uh, you know I’m a sympathy puker.”

“You’ve had military training, and yet you’re the most squeamish person on this planet.” Noctis rolls his eyes. “Come with me. Before Ignis finds us – it won’t be pretty if he does.”

“Damn, how bad did you fuck up?”

They share a laugh as Noctis leads Gladio into his office. The curtains are raised high, and breakfast is already on his desk with a small note from Ignis that reads ‘ _The haunting begins tonight._ ’ Gladio thinks it’s fucking weird, but is assured that it’s just a joke – but he’s in here to make sure that no haunting goes down.

Gladio takes a seat, taking note how Noctis instead chooses to lean against his desk, arms folded across his chest, hidden by the knit fabric of his sweater. Noct also has this nervous tick going on, his foot tapping against the floor, and he _cannot_ meet Gladio’s gaze to save his life. The door’s been locked, and it was completely quiet aside from Noctis’s foot on the wooden floor, and the fan of his computer running as it turned on for the day.

“Have you been eating?” Gladio asks, breaking the silence. “You look thinner.”

“I’ve been trying to. It’s getting kind of easier to keep things down – Ignis sort of figured out what my ticks were. But, yunno, you do lose weight after hurling for a few consecutive days.”

“You still haven’t been to a doctor.”

“I will. I mean it this time.” Noctis hiked himself up onto the surface of the desk, making sure his ass didn’t knock anything over. “I had to work out some shit.”

“Why are you being so goddamn vague?” A pout, Gladio leans forward, hands gripping at his knees. “Everyone’s been worried. Prompto keeps whining about making public appearances, Ignis is scrambling around tryin’ to get all the right information into a huge ass document that you’re gonna have to read, and I’m tryin’ to keep the royal court on their toes because they’re still too new to know what to do in your absence, and – “

“ _Relax_. I know. I’m sorry I’ve been stressing everyone out.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to… get all aggressive. I just want to know what’s going on – I love you, Noct – you being okay is all I care about, right now. I’m just frustrated that I have no answers.”

Noctis pushes a hand through his hair, taking a deep breath. He finally gains the courage to meet Gladio’s amber gaze, hands stationed firmly on the edge of his desk.

“I love you too, Gladio.” He says, “More than I can express – so… to make up for that, I’ve got a little something that can be proof for us.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. A baby.”

Gladio is quiet; he blinks twice, three times.

“It worked?”

Noctis can hardly help himself as he finds laughter deep within him. It felt weird to talk about out loud, but here he is.

“I took a home pregnancy test – it was positive. I’ve got all the symptoms – all that’s left is a little doctor validation.”

Gladio’s eyes begin welling with tears, expression getting softer with each passing moment. He sits back, looking his lover up and down, trying to come up with the words to express himself. Noctis only smiles, bracing himself for impact.

He practically tears Noctis from his position on the desk, lifting him up into the air. Kisses are peppered all over his face, earning nonstop laughter from him. He finally sets Noctis on the floor, hand immediately landing on his flat stomach, grinning ear to ear in near disbelief.

“This is really happening? We’re gonna have a brat runnin’ around?”

Gladio rubs gentle circles into his belly, chuckling when Noctis shudders underneath him.

“As long as everything pans out correctly.” Noctis says, “Hope you’re still not mad about me taking the week to myself. This is a lot to take in – even though I’m _really_ excited.”

“Baby, you take all the time you need.” Gladio pulls back, cupping Noct’s face in his hands. “I’ve got your back – you’re gonna make a great parent. I’m so goddamn happy, Noct – we’re gonna be dads.”

Noctis gives a wide smile, hearing those words leave Gladio’s mouth made his heart sing. He can’t hold back his own tears, flowing freely from blue eyes. He’s wrapped his arms around his partner, face pressing into his chest. It was all going to be worth it – he feels excited, and ready to take on a new chapter of his life. He’s bearing a child as King, and he’s going to make sure that his baby is given everything.

He pulls away, wiping his tears from his eyes.

“We’re gonna be dads.”

 

* * *

 

 

Dinner is very small, only the four of them are permitted to attend, via Noctis’s request. 

Gladio hasn’t been able to wipe the smile off his face, and frankly it’s pretty goddamn cute. With Prompto and Ignis joining in on this private affair, Noctis feels only slightly nervous – he knows that they’ll both be happy for him, but Noct was never all that great at being the center of attention; truly a predicament for someone who was king of an entire nation.

He’s sort of willing to get over it though – he’s ready to put his foot down and explain that his pregnancy is an _extremely_ private affair, and that he doesn’t want any news coverage of it. Prompto was mainly in charge of Noctis’s public appearances, and his social media presence. He’d respect his wishes with no if’s, and’s, or but’s – that, and Prompto would be someone that Noct could rely on for assistance in places that the other’s couldn’t necessarily relate to. Noct didn’t think he’d have too many issues regarding dysphoria, but it’d be nice to have Prompto to vent to from time to time.

Ignis, on the other hand, would probably be a bit torn regarding Noctis trying to keep this under wraps, mainly because royal births were _always_ a big thing that were meant to be celebrated and taken into account for the future.

Regardless, after dinner is eaten, and coffee is set for the evening (which Noctis painfully denies because he isn’t sure how much caffeine he’s allowed to consume yet,) he casually drops the news when Ignis acts offended that Noctis wasn’t willing to have another cup.

“Wait, what?”

“Well, yunno. Uh, I read online that people that are expecting should limit caffeine intake to like, one or two cups a day.” Noctis shrugs, “So – I’m trying to cut back. Luckily I’m not _too_ addicted – I’ve seen Ignis’s withdrawal symptoms and they suck ball.”

“Noct, can you please just… tell us exactly what you’re trying to say.” Ignis speaks.

“Yeah, ‘cuz you’re like, implying that you’re… pregnant.”

Noctis looks to both Ignis and Prompto, taking his glass of water to his lips.

“Mm, yeah – that’s it, actually.”

“Stop being such a smartass, Noct.” Gladio shoves his face into his hands, “You’re gonna give both of ‘em a heart attack.”

Ignis and Prompto stare at Noctis as if he has 200 heads, trying to put the pieces together. Noct is trying _desperately_ to wipe the shit eating grin off his face, but it’s nearly impossible, and he just winds up placing his cup down so he can properly compose himself.

“Sorry, saying it out loud is still really weird – but yeah, I’m pregnant. A la Gladio.”

“Holy shit, Noct. What, did being near Iris give you baby fever or something?!” Prompto is wide eyed, “You’re gonna have a baby?”

“I mean, about time, right?”

“Majesty that’s… wonderful!” Ignis sports an expression of disbelief, but it doesn’t read as _bad_. “Oh thank _goodness_ , now I don’t feel as guilty trying to slip vitamins into your dishes.”

“Ignis!”

Ignis stifles a laugh, calling for a round of wine for the table.

“Then, a toast? To the new heir of Lucis’s throne.”

“Oh, c’mon – a toast?! I can’t drink!”

 

* * *

 

 

Something Noctis knew, but still wasn’t prepared for, were all the goddamn formalities of bearing a royal baby. After a very long chat with Ignis, and the rest of the royal court, they came to the conclusion that by the time Noctis entered the second trimester, they would need to have an official statement. He couldn’t just produce a royal heir overnight and expect everyone to just be okay with it. They agree to make an announcement, but to limit any and all coverage – which, thank the six, Noct couldn’t handle any more attention than he already had. 

He still promised to work hard, but not too hard, and to let the others take the reins for a while. That was one of the only downsides of not being married – that he didn’t really have anyone “”official”” to hand his duties over to. It was unspoken, but between Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto, they sort of split the responsibility evenly and then just said that Noctis approved (which he typically did.)

He’s taking the medication that he’d been prescribed by his doctor, as well as sticking to a rather… strict diet. Other than that, he didn’t have all that much to complain about. He’s ruled as healthy, he’s only carrying one baby (something he was initially worried about, yet it turned out that Iris’s twins weren’t from the Amicitia side of the family,) and apparently he had conceived sometime before he and Gladio had intentionally started trying – leaving him a bit further along than he thought.

After two months of absolutely terrible morning sickness, he actually starts gaining weight, and he’s got the tiniest bit of belly sticking out from his hips.

He also finds that he talks to himself a lot more – or rather, he’s _trying_ to communicate with his child. After his first appointment with his doctor, he was left sort of endeared by the whole concept. Like, he had his proof that he was in fact carrying a baby – his ugly, alien-like peanut – and it was enough for it to really sink in. Even though his first impression upon getting to _see_ his child was “ew, gross,” he was ready and willing to kill for them.

Lastly, he realizes that Gladio is a goddamn pansy.

Everything baby related made him get all nervous – even though he was an uncle to two eager toddlers. He was so _happy_ when Noctis told him the news, and he still is, but he’s super frazzled and worried about even breathing in Noct’s general direction. In fact, it took two whole nights of convincing for Gladio to accompany Noctis to his appointment, so he isn’t stuck listening to Ignis and his caretaker discuss all the technicalities that made his head spin. Gladio winds up burying his head in the crook of Noctis’s neck for practically the whole procedure – only looking up once Noct calls him out for being a scardycat.

That kind of attitude carries on, too.

Gladiolus “Hardass” Amicitia was never one to baby Noctis in the way that Ignis did, yet here they were in this predicament, and it gets obvious once Noctis starts showing. He becomes somewhat of a doting lover, practically always stationed at Noctis’s side, hand placed on his lower back – as if Noctis couldn’t stand up straight just because of some extra weight.

It gets even more daunting when they’re set to announce Noctis’s pregnancy to the public, and Gladio practically _never_ leaves Noct’s side. It wasn’t that he minded, in fact, he always appreciated and valued Gladio’s presence, but it couldn’t have been healthy for _Gladio_ to be this stressed practically all the time. Noct initially thought that having Gladio accompany him to all subsequent doctor’s appointments would put his mind at ease, especially when Noctis was apparently doing pretty stellar, and kiddo was growing and healthy, but practically _nothing_ let this man sleep at night.

“Yunno, Gladio.” Noctis says to his shield one day, reclined on his sofa after a long day of serving his people. “We’re gonna find out what we’re having in a few weeks. We have to start thinking about _names_.”

Gladio is poking around Noctis’s quarters, trying to settle on a book to read in order to get himself to bed without being plagued by restlessness once more.

“Ahh – I’m not very creative. Besides, the public’s gonna see it as _your_ baby.”

“I couldn’t have knocked myself up, Gladio. Even if that’s how the public sees it, it’s still _your_ baby too.”

Hands gently glide over his newly plump belly, smoothing down the fabric of his shirt – he spots Gladio staring at him from afar, catching him off guard as he quickly buries himself back into the book shelf.

“I started feeling kicks the other day.” Noctis cocks an eyebrow at Gladio, “It was really soft – too soft for anyone else to feel.”

He looks over at his lover, slipping a pretty thick novel from out of it’s place.

“It’s still pretty early, no?”

“Nah. I’m what? About twenty three weeks?”

“Shit, that much time’s passed?”

“Still got five more months to go.”

Noctis caresses his belly when he feels some movement. He likes to think it’s acknowledgment from his kid, mainly feeling anything when he’s having conversations – perhaps the baby _likes_ the sound of his voice.

“C’mere, why don’t you?” He asks, “We hardly get to be new and excited parents.”

Gladio is hesitant, but he eventually obliges, plopping onto the floor beside Noct. He feels Noctis’s hands comb through his long, brown hair, pushing any loose strands from his face. They both remain quiet for a moment, allowing Gladio to be lulled into gentle silence, and revel in the peace with his lover.

“You’re scared.”

Gladio opens an eye, tilting his head up to read Noctis’s expression. His eyes are closed, and his head is lulled to the side ever so slightly, one hand positioned at his lower belly, while the other remains atop Gladio’s head.

“It’s fine to be scared. I am too.” He says, “But I don’t want you to deal with that alone.”

“Ah, well. I’m not… tryin’ to burden you with any of my baggage. What parent wouldn’t be scared?”

“So you admit it! You have baggage.”

“I mean! Not about the whole baby thing. I want this baby – I wouldn’t have agreed to it if I didn’t want a baby.” Gladio sits up, turning around to face Noctis completely. “I just… don’t want anything to go wrong. I wanna be a good dad… and I want our baby to be healthy… and I want you to be healthy.”

“You worried I’m gonna like, die tragically? Again?”

“Jeez, when you put it like that – “

Noctis gives Gladio a playful shove, but he invites him to join him on the couch. Gladio positions himself behind Noctis, taking his very pregnant lover into his arms, allowing a full, thick head of black hair to nestle against his chest.

“For shiva’s sake, Glad. I drag you to _every_ doctor visit with me for a reason. I’m fine, and baby’s fine too. Besides, if practically evaporating into the cosmos didn’t kill me, I don’t think an infant will be able to either.” Noctis pokes at Gladio’s cheek, unable to hold back a grin when Gladio rolls his eyes. “I just want you to stop being so stressed.”

“I know, I know. I’m sorry – I’m not trying to be… such a baby.” He says, “I thought I had a good grasp on this whole fatherhood thing, especially because of Iris’s kids – and like, how _great_ I am with them.”

“It’s different when you’re in the parenting position though, huh?”

“Yeah. Ahhhh, I dunno. Something kind of broke – when I held your hand through that first appointment, and we heard it’s little heartbeat…” Gladio wraps both arms around Noctis, holding him tight. “It just became so real. And Noctis, I don’t know _anything_.”

“That makes two of us.” Noctis chuckles, taking one of Gladio’s hands into his own. “But, I’d argue that that’s the universal parenting experience. What kind of parent goes into having a baby knowing _everything_ that’s going to happen? Even people with seven kids don’t get the luxury of knowing everything by the book – every baby is different.”

“I guess. I just don’t want to let either of you down.”

“You wont. Besides, we have like, more help than we probably know what to do with. I’m a fucking King.”

Gladio laughs, pressing a kiss to Noctis’s temple. He takes a deep breath as he tries to settle his thoughts, intertwining his fingers with Noctis, earning a light squeeze in return.

“I’m scared too.” Noctis speaks, placing Gladio’s hand flat against his belly. “My dad loved me, I know that – but he sacrificed a lot because of his position. I don’t want that to happen to me. I want to see our kid grow up – I don’t want to hand them over to a nanny.”

“Hm. Guess we haven’t really talked about you taking a little break.”

“Yeah. And like, I know it’s inevitable – that I’m gonna have to step away from being a parent at times so I can be a king – especially for a country that’s trying to rebuild itself, but I never… _never_ want my baby to think that I don’t care about them.”

This wasn’t something he liked trying to come to terms with, but he knew that keeping quiet about it would only deepen the wound.

“Hopefully kiddo can hear every word you’re saying now.” Gladio gives Noct’s belly a gentle pat, “You’re already a good parent, Noct. The fact that you’re taking any of this into consideration at all – it’s very selfless.”

“Hah, well, kiddo can definitely hear every word because they have _not_ stopped squirming around.” Noctis stifles a laugh, “But I think I’m just trying to make a point. We’re both pretty goddamn scared. But we’re gonna figure it out – we have each other for that.”

“Yeah. I’m sorry, Noct – for… I dunno, just being such a worrywart. I’m supposed to have your back, and here I am actin’ all scared and distant just because I never thought I’d be raising a kid.”

“You’re fine, Gladio.” Noctis nuzzles his face into Gladio’s chest, “But let’s talk about things before you decide to bottle it all up. You know that doesn’t help anybody – especially not you.”

Gladio rubs gentle circles into Noct’s stomach, earning a contented sigh from his lover. Eyes drift closed, silence overtaking the room once more.

“Kid is gonna be so overwhelmed with love they wont know what to do with it. And think, next week, we find out what we’re having – and either way, any combination of you and me is going to be a pretty dangerous one.”

“Well, if the kid took after me, they’d already be kickin’ holes through your gut. Safe to say we’re getting a stubborn, sleepy kid.”

“Don’t jinx us – we probably want a sleepy kid.”

Gladio shrugs his shoulders, a smile tugging at his lips. Having a screaming baby would be another can of worms for them to open in due time, but for now they could put their worries to rest.

Noctis turns in Gladio’s arms, allowing him to press a gentle kiss to his lover’s lips.

 

* * *

 

 

It’s a fairly normal day when Noctis starts feeling a little under the weather.

He has cramping, which stirs as a bit of a red flag, but he’s ensured that cramping every now and then is normal, because his body was making adjustments to properly house his baby. He’s far enough along that miscarriage was a pretty low risk, and he’s about two days away from his doctor’s appointment, so he tries to carry on through the rest of his day at a slower pace.

He’s also _very_ tired, and possibly a bit overworked.

Noct was never all that great at handling himself on bad days, and often relied on his friends to help him out – but being king sort of brought him out of the mindset that he needed assistance from time to time. He was the leader of an entire country, he was supposed to have everything under control. He could handle this, and he’d be stronger because of it.

His day is slower, now that he let Ignis know what was up, but it doesn’t mean that he _stops_. And he should have, because the pain doesn’t subside, and it’s starting to make him feel nauseas.

“Mmm, if you wanted me to relax, you could’ve asked nicely, kiddo.”

He’s got his face in his hands as he tries to work through it, deep breaths to lessen the pain. Noct never had a very high pain tolerance, so he’s sure that it’s just bad because even a papercut would ruin his day, but he _knows_ that if he didn’t get this worked out, he’d never hear the end of it from Gladio or Ignis.

Noctis shoots Gladio a text that he’s headed to the medical wing, where his midwife awaits. He gets a series of messages in return, but he’s in too much pain to be able to concentrate and write a proper response.

All in all, he was having a pretty good experience bearing a child, and didn’t have much complaint about it. He was anticipating the changes to his body, so when they started happening, it wasn’t _too_ bad. He read up on the common side effects, and was keeping up weekly with a journal so he knew where he was in terms of his progress. He knew his familial history, and he knew Gladio’s, so any and all risks were taken into account.

Essentially, this was the absolute most planned thing that Noctis had ever pursued, and things _still_ weren’t going 100%, but he just had to remind himself of what he and Gladio had confided in each other about – his words weren’t empty, they had meaning, and he just had to get himself to believe them.

He’s getting felt up by his midwife when Gladio barges in, looking like he ran a marathon to get to Noctis’s side, and even though Noct is still in an obscene amount of pain, he manages a sheepish smile and a wave once they make eye contact.

“What’s going on? Are you okay?”

“Jeez, relax. We’re trying to assess this before Ignis gets here and shit hits the fan.” Noctis rolls his eyes, head rolling back against the thin pillow he was resting on. “No bleeding, so it’s probably just… contractions.”

“What do you _mean_ contractions? You’re not having the kid right now, are you? Fuck – Noct, you were fine this morning!”

“ _No_. It’s just … some really uncomfortable body adjusting.”

The midwife presses into his belly quite hard, which was more unpleasant than painful – but his baby kicks in what he assumes is objection, and he can’t help but laugh.

“Everything feels fine, your majesty.” She says, “You have no pre-term labor symptoms. I think we can rule this one out as over stress. Perhaps you should take a day or so to yourself.”

“My kingdom’s gonna hate me.” Noctis groans, running a hand through his hair. “Baby’s okay though, so I guess that’s what matters the most.”

“The baby’s fine?” Gladio asks, amber eyes wrought with distress. “Why couldn’t you have texted me that everything was okay?!”

“I spent the last half hour getting prodded and felt up with medical tools, as well as being in a _lot_ of pain. Sorry, I couldn’t exactly whip out my phone and tell you.”

“King Noctis is in capable hands – if anything seemed out of the ordinary, I would’ve contacted emergency services immediately.” The midwife assists Noctis into a sitting position, “I will write up a medical report for your advisor, as well as compile those photos for you.”

“Thanks so much, Lyd. I uh – don’t have to go to that appointment in a few days now, do I?”

“No. I covered all the bases and more for this visit.”

“…Photos?”

Noctis watches as the midwife leaves the room to update his file. He redresses himself, which mostly consists of him packing on the layers again to conceal his belly. Gladio is left sitting, dumbfounded by everything that went down from the moment he stepped in, to just now.

“Got a surprise gender reveal! I was trying to hold off until you were with me, but this kid isn’t shy, apparently.” Noctis stifles a laugh, watching as Gladio’s face exclusively goes through the seven stages of grief. “I mean, guess you’re not really missing out ‘cuz you hate watching me get ultrasounds.”

“They’re kind of gross.”

“I agree.”

Gladio leans forward, cocking an eyebrow as he eyes Noctis up and down. Noct is trying _very_ hard to keep himself from smiling, laughing even, with the occasional wince from the dull throbbing sitting on his hips.

“Noctis, what are we having?”

Noctis places both his hands on his belly, giving it a reaffirming pat.

“Brat number one of Caelum and Amicitia blood _is…_ ” He does a gentle imitation of a drumroll on his stomach, “A girl. We’re having a girl.”

They’re both thankful that Gladio is sitting, because he practically emits a soft weakness once the information sinks in. His eyes practically light up with the news, and he grabs Noctis’s hands, giving them a gentle squeeze.

“A daughter?”

“Yeeeep. Midwife said that she knew from the get go – her heartbeat is apparently fast and consistent with what’s the norm for baby girls. I thought that was just a myth, though – apparently there’s _some_ truth to it, if your ear’s good enough.”

Gladio’s devolved into straight up tears of joy, soaking down his face, getting his beard all wet and soggy. He can’t make words to save his life, instead aiming to place his hands all over Noctis’s belly, and then sobbing even more when he can actually feel the kicks that his daughter was pressing into his hands. It gets _worse_ when Noctis starts crying too, having held back on his emotions even when the midwife told him the news, but now he can be happy – openly.

The moment is cut short, however, when Ignis enters, and though he’s mostly blind, he gives the two a look of pure judgement.

“I do hope those tears are not of grief.”

Noctis hiccups, wiping his face with his sleeve as he tries to compose himself.

“Sorry, Ignis.” He manages a smile, “Everything’s fine. The midwife is getting the report for you – it’s just, yunno. News of a princess is _really_ gonna shake the nation.”

Ignis folds his arms over his chest, sporting a grin as he looks back and forth between the excited new parents – Gladio trying to conceal his tears, and Noctis unable to hold back the joy he was experiencing.

A princess would certainly be cause for an immense celebration.

 

* * *

 

 

Noctis is on edge all day because it was the day that he would publicly be announcing his pregnancy.

There were certain precautions taken; such as Noctis staying comfortable in his quarters for a week and working from home so long as it wasn’t the cause of any more stress. Sure, it wasn’t so much as he was going up in front of his country and announcing it himself – it was news that was going up on his website and subsequent social media, but it was still one hell of a concept to try and wrap his head around.

On the bright side, Noctis was adored. Back during his teenage years, when he first came out to the public and begun his transition, he wasn’t really met with much animosity, but there was still that air that it was kind of… out there. He _was_ the first of royal blood to transition, though he wasn’t the first to not be straight. But all in all, he was Lucis’s sweetheart – up until he disappeared, and his country felt abandoned – but through the legends and his return to save the entirety of Eos, they forgave those dark ten years and saw Noctis as someone who truly was worthy of a Kingdom.

He didn’t think the public would have a _bad_ reaction, but he just hated having that much attention on him in general, which was pretty goddamn frustrating when you were a king.

This isn’t something he wants to talk about, and it’s not something that he wants to share with anybody besides his loved ones. He’s not going to go out and publish photos of him and his massive pregnant belly, and he’s not going to share medical reports. He’s certainly not going to shove his baby into any sort of spotlight, because although being raised as a _normal child_ had it’s issues, he kind of admires the approach, and wants to carry that idea on but with less mistake. Hopefully.

Prompto, who was in charge of Noctis’s social media and website, had run the publication through Noctis practically hundreds of times – and Noctis is grateful, because Prompto is the only person he trusts to write about this sort of thing in a straight forward fashion that answers all of the big questions, and shuts down any of the uncomfortable questions.

His phone pings with what he assumes is the update on his website, and he feels his heart kick up in speed.

 

_King Noctis Lucis Caelum CXIV is pleased to announce that he is expecting his first child._

The statement goes on to describe the excitement in the kingdom, and that Noctis is going to take this time to care for himself and his daughter and that he hopes the citizens of Lucis are patient with him as he prepares for his birth.

There’s a small reiteration that Noctis begun his transition at 15 years of age, and has been a huge advocate for trans rights and what not. Prompto was the star of the show this time around.

No uncomfortable details – sweet and to the point.

Just as he’s finally starting to relax, he hears Gladio practically break the door down, entering with bags of who knows what, though some of them carry rather delicious smells.

“Good. I was expecting to find a puddle of anxiety – this is a lot better.”

Noctis laughs, pushing himself up from the couch with the slightest bit of trouble. He greets Gladio at the door, assisting him with some of the bags, and peaking through each one.

“Trying to be a doting husband, I see.”

“Naawwww. Doting father – none of this stuff’s for you. The food is though.”

“Hoooow flattering.” He rolls his eyes, “Thanks though. I wasn’t planning on leaving the couch until at least Saturday – I got the update, and god, I nearly puked I was so nervous.”

“No more puking, please.” A laugh from Noctis in return, offering to set their meal on the coffee table – a habit they couldn’t quite shake from the days of their youth. “I’ll have to read it though, Prompto was really proud of it. Said he ran everything through you and Ignis more times than he could count.”

“Yeah, I’m happy with it.”

And he was – he’d have to thank Prompto later, somehow. He was never good at expressing his gratitude, but Prompto was pretty easy to please.

“How are you feeling today? Pain’s all gone?”

“Ah, it comes back every now and then – but at least I know it’s just my shitty body trying to adjust.” He plops himself back on his couch, a hand placed upon his belly. “It’s flying by. I’m not too far off from the third trimester – and yunno, considering this baby _is_ half you, I’m terrified she’s gonna like, tear herself out of me with her strong little baby arms.”

Gladio can’t help but laugh as he joins Noct on the cushions.

One thing that kind of made them both a little nervous was the fact that Noctis wasn’t carrying all that large – though it wasn’t so much his own weight, as it was supposedly the baby herself. It was sort of a blessing, since he was able to conceal his bump pretty well when he was roaming the halls, but the very last thing Noctis wanted was to give birth to an underweight, malnourished kid.

His diet was pretty strict, and he made sure to take all of his vitamins, and he was keeping up with regular doctor visits – she was fine, so they were told, but Noctis couldn’t stop being so goddamn paranoid.

Gladio knocks him from his thoughts when he gives Noctis a gentle kiss to the temple.

“Lucky for you, it looks like we have a scrawny kid on our hands.” He chuckles, “She hasn’t been too much trouble, I hope.”

“ _God_ , Gladio – she’s terrible! Never sleeps – always up in the dead of night, keeping _me_ awake while you snore away. I practically pissed myself like, three times today because she keeps stepping on my bladder.” Noctis feigns distress, looking away from his lover. “And what an eavesdropper. Listening to every conversation I have, and then _judging_ me for it by beating me up some more. What kind of monster did you shove inside of me?”

Gladio laughs harder, tugging Noct into his arms.

“Terrible, right?” He places a hand atop Noct’s belly, pressing into it ever so gently. Their daughter pushes against him, as if annoyed that someone was invading her space, earning a smile from her father. “Damn. Aggressive as hell.”

“Told you.”

“Ah well. She’s gotta deal with me for the rest of her life.”

Gladio pulls away and starts setting up their meal completely consisting of comfort food, the smell enticing. 

“It’s cheat day for me – so it can be cheat day for you too. And uh, I made sure it was all safe for you and the kid. A little bit of indulging wont hurt.”

“Oh _man –_ papa bird and baby bowl? My weakness.”

“Yeah – some of the trainees for the Kingsglaive and I went out for lunch the other day. Found this place that makes real good dishes. Probably not as good as Ignis’s, but I think its pretty close.”

“Yunno, maybe some junk’ll be good for me and the kid.”

“Yeah, if she’s as dependent on carbs as I am.” Gladio shoves a spoonful of food into his mouth, giving Noctis a wink.

“ _Please_ don’t make me give birth to a baby body builder, Gladio.”

They share a laugh as they dig into their meal, going on about their days – or week since they were both so busy. Even with Noctis taking a few days from the throne, he still had plenty of paperwork to sift through, and loads of e-mails to answer. Gladio, on the other hand, was training members of the crownsguard, as well as checking in on the kingsglaive every now and then. He takes up some of Noctis’s responsibilities, mainly assigning duties for the day and keeping track on the progress of the restoration process, alongside Cor who, though ready to retire, was the most knowledgeable on the city.

Noctis explains how he fully expects to cease public appearances once he reaches the third trimester, and how he’d be counting on his friends to make it up to Lucis for him.

It had been so long since Noctis and Gladio had gotten a quiet moment together, that they forgot what it was like to spend time in one another’s company.

A movie plays as they recline, but they can hardly pay attention to it. Noctis admires Gladio’s features, picking out his favorites and expressing that he hopes their daughter shares them with him – while Gladio rebuttals in denial, as Noctis’s features were the ones he hoped their baby had. Noctis had dreamt many times of what it would be like to hold her in his arms, and to stand beside her as she grew older.

He likes to imagine that she’s going to grow tall, and that she’s going to be stubborn – but she’s going to be loved, and in return, will brighten up their lives.

He stares up at the ceiling, his fingertips idly dancing upon his swollen stomach, feeling the pitter patter of her tiny kicks, because she was just as nocturnal as her parent – and Gladio, as he was dozing off, had pressed his lips to his lover’s cheek, a gentle smile spreading across his face.

Noctis wasn’t all that creative – and Gladio didn’t have an artistic bone in his body, yet it didn’t stop either of them from laying in bed at night and exchanging ideas for a name.

“I thought of a pretty good one.” He says, out of the blue.

Though Gladio’s eyes are closed, he makes a noise of acknowledgment, reaching for Noctis’s hand to intertwine in his own.

“Yeah? Hit me.”

“Cira.”

Gladio ponders for a moment, giving Noct’s hand a light squeeze.

“That’s pretty. Cira Lucis Caelum, yeah?”

“Mmhmm. Was looking through text from Altissia in it’s renaissance, and that name really stood out to me. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it – I think it’d suit her.”

“Huh, I think so too.” He plants a gentle kiss on Noctis’s lips, “Look at you. Reading books.”

Noctis laughs, shoving Gladio away from him in a playful manner. They both smile at one another, both agreeing that maybe it was time for bed.

Or maybe it wasn’t – judging by Noctis’s playful eyes.

 

* * *

 

 

The third trimester came faster than Noctis was anticipating, and lucky for him, a cheat day every now and then with Gladio did pack him on with some much needed weight, or at the very least, he _felt_ huge. 

He couldn’t leave his quarters, or his office without being hounded by members of the crownsguard ready to dote on his every need. At first it was kind of nice, but after a while it got annoying, because he couldn’t leave his work space to use the bathroom without a crowd of young trainees trying to hook on either of his arms to guide him down the hall.

Gladio had tried pulling that shit on him too, but Noctis shut that down faster than he could even place his hand upon his lower back.

“I’m pregnant – I’m not the kid in that wheelchair anymore.” He snapped, after a long day of stressful _everything_.

Perhaps he was overreacting, because those mood-swings were actually real as much as he hated to admit it, but he just couldn’t _help_ himself. Getting treated differently because of some life altering event was something that had happened to him multiple times in his life, and it always made things so goddamn awkward. Sure, the incident during his childhood landed him in a coma, and then a wheelchair, but he was ultimately the same kid who just wanted to do things on his own. Then his transition had people tripping over themselves _constantly_ whenever they screwed up his pronouns, to the point where Noctis was rendered speechless instead of being able to say ‘it’s okay! Mistakes happen!’ and _now_ there was this.

He just wanted a damn moment to relax, and yet.

Luckily, after explaining to Gladio _why_ he didn’t want to be coddled, Gladio sighed in relief because he was never the coddling type, but pregnant people just made him nervous – for some reason (he doesn’t know why.)

There was Ignis, who Noct was a bit more forgiving of because he had practically been under Ignis’s care since they were children. And Prompto was a pretty sweet deal, since he didn’t even bat an eye at Noctis’s new pregnancy quirks, and tried his best to empathize with his best friend even though Prompto made it known since the beginning of their friendship that he never had any intention of bearing children and was much more into the idea of adopting.

The rest of the people in the citadel weren’t as understanding and down to earth as the rest of Noctis’s friends, though, and he came to the conclusion that he just had to grin and bear it.

There was the _royal baby shower_ that nobody wanted. Noctis managed to avoid it happening at all, but for those who were so used to Lucian tradition, it caused confusion. He didn’t understand what part of ‘cease public appearances until the baby is born’ the others didn’t understand.

Luckily, Noctis put out a statement, personally written by him, that instead of worrying for him and his daughter, they should put any effort and money they were planning on spending for the event into the restoration funds. Noctis had enough resources, and they’d be fine. He was fucking _baffled_ by how stubborn some of the nobles were – but eventually, there were publications afterwards about how generous and kind Noctis was, and it shut everybody up.

It didn’t stop at least a few gifts from making it through to his quarters. They were all small tokens of appreciation, all for the baby – which Noct couldn’t help but smile about.

Being in early month eight, he knew that the preparations should’ve been finalized for his daughter’s arrival, so he was spending whatever free time he had setting all of that up, along with the help of his friends.

Sifting through baby clothes, and putting together a theme for the princess’s bedroom – it was all stuff that kind of put his mind at ease, even if Prompto was the one making a majority of the creative decisions – because he was the artistic one of the bunch. Noctis didn’t think he’d find this kind of thing _fun_ because it was so ordinary and domestic, and yet he put time aside specifically to focus on this.

He finds himself in her room quite often, now. Often for no particular reason at all – just finding it a nice environment to relax in.

Her walls are painted a light shade of blue, cream colored accents decorate the trim and her windows. They opted for anything too obnoxiously baby like – even though they knew that they would remodel the room according to how she grew up and acquired personal taste – but it fit the aesthetic of Noctis’s home in the citadel. There’s décor on the walls that matches the crib, as well as a few stuffed animals stuffed into the couch positioned in the corner. Among them are a few pieces from Iris, such as a stuffed moogle, and a carbuncle – quite like the one Noctis had when he was younger.

He thinks it looks nice.

“Alright, baby girl. This looks about final – speak now, or forever hold your peace.”

He places a hand upon his belly, satisfied that his kid decides to stay sleeping.

 

* * *

 

 

The week Noctis is due is hectic, and annoying. 

He honest to the gods just wants it to be over with, if only to make everybody be quiet for two damn seconds. It falls into the category of people being annoying because they were overwhelmingly up his ass about every little detail. He can’t even focus on the pre-term contractions, because everyone’s asking him about the exact conditions of how his birth is gonna play out and holy shit, he doesn’t know, and he doesn’t care – he just wants his kid to be healthy, and it doesn’t matter how that happens.

And so far, everything was good. Baby was ready to go whenever the contractions started, and the midwife was on call to set up shop in his bedroom whenever they were ready.

He enjoyed all the down time he got while he was pregnant, but he was ready for the next step. Mobility, and a screaming infant.

Gladio, thankfully, was being as helpful as he could possibly be. On the days when Noctis just wanted to _relax_ , Gladio never fought him on it, instead opting to relax with him.

He’s… tired… and being nestled nicely against Gladio’s chest was a hard bargain to beat.

“I knew having a baby would be a lot, but I didn’t know it’d be this much.” Noctis whines, “She’s not even born yet!”

“Yeah, but it’ll be worth it once you get to hold her.” Gladio gives Noctis a light squeeze, “I’m sorry, sugar, I know it’s been rough. Ah, guess that’s what we get for doing this while we’re trying to rebuild a city.”

“Like, I _know_ , but I’m already 31. I guess I’m trying to catch up with everything I missed. Is having a baby when I’m king like… actually spoiled?”

“You’re king, but you’re still human. You’re allowed to want things, Noct.”

Gladio tilts Noctis’s head back ever so lightly, a look of confidence on his face.

“You’re doing a lot. Rebuilding a country after like, the apocalypse is a lot of work. But you’re also putting yourself out of your comfort zone to care for someone else. Our daughter is gonna love you like no one else, and I think you’re deserving of that, yeah?”

“Guilt… fucking sucks.”

“It does. But you shouldn’t have to feel guilty. You’re not doin’ anything wrong.”

He presses his lips to Noctis’s cheek, smiling at his lover.

“And if anyone tries to tell you otherwise, I’ll shut ‘em down.”

“Alright, mister ‘I have this big nasty scar because I refuse to touch commoners.’”

“Okay, well, if you get baby fever again, we’ll just get a cat or something. Much easier.”

Noctis can’t help but laugh, hands positioned on his belly.

“It’s all gonna be over pretty fuckin’ soon. Just think, you’re gonna have a baby girl on your hands – she’s definitely gonna be a pain in the ass, but she’s gonna be _your_ pain in the ass. And you’ll be able to do things you want to do again – like sit and stand up without assistance, and you can go back on hormones, but if you try to grow a beard again I’ll shave it off in your sleep.”

“Not fair – why do you get a beard and I don’t?”

“I dunno, makes me competitive. I’d grow one to my knees.”

“Gross.”

Noctis pushes himself up, grasping at the couch cushions. It had gotten late faster than he thought, and knew that tomorrow just came yet another day of waiting and planning with the other nobles.

“Not being able to walk properly does kind of suck. Please carry me to bed.”

Gladio gives a hearty laugh, standing up with no trouble, hands held out to Noctis to assist him onto his feet. He pulls his lover up, though quickly scoops him up in his arms, much to Noctis’s dismay.

“I was kidding!”

“You may be on the verge of bursting, Noct, but don’t forget just how goddamn strong I am. I could carry two more of you.”

His arm positioned under Noctis’s legs, and his hand wrapped around his shoulder, he carries him into the master suite, littering his king with kisses all over his cheek.

It isn’t until much later in the night when Noctis has finally dozed off after an hour or so of trying to find a comfortable position that doesn’t involve back pain, and cramping. He’s wrapped around a pillow, while Gladio holds onto him from behind, having been snoozing away since his head hit the pillow. He’d been dealing with minor, inconsistent contractions throughout the entire month, but today, they were there, but fairly dull.

He’s woken up by an incredibly uncomfortable sensation in his hips, painful to the point where he can’t sleep it off.

He sits up, wincing as the sensation starts to get stronger, and he finds himself needing to take deep breaths in an effort to get through it.

Without a doubt, that was a labor contraction.

He shakes Gladio awake, trying to stay calm as he explains what’s happening; that the feeling he had was much stronger than what he was used to, and that Gladio needs to help count the time until his next one, because he isn’t sure that he’ll be able to concentrate on his own.

The next thing they know, Noctis is on the floor of his bathroom because he feels like he’s going to puke due to the pain, and the reality starts setting in that this is happening – and now he’s panicking. His water breaks shortly after, and Gladio nearly dodges out of the room because he’s realizing that he doesn’t know how equipped he is to handle this whole ‘child birth’ thing. The midwife arrives, and manages to set everything up, while keeping Noctis calm through her words and cracking jokes about how squeamish Gladio was acting.

He’s laid upon the bed which has now been made with plastic, and dozens of towels, with Gladio positioned behind him for support, pressing kisses into sweaty and matted hair, allowing Noct to squeeze his hands as much as he needed, being assured that they wouldn’t break even if he summoned an astral by accident.

It had been _hours_ since it first started, and he knew that his friends were out in the living room waiting for the news, and he only hoped that they couldn’t hear his crying. He didn’t even know what he was saying to Gladio, or to the midwife, but he was sure it was absolutely horrid. Gladio laughs at it every now and then, but Noctis crushes his hands with even more strength, and it shuts him up pretty quickly.

He closes his eyes, crying out as the pain becomes unbearable, trying his best to follow his caretakers instructions.

The pain eventually subsides, leaving Noctis confused, exhausted as his head falls back and his body goes limp. He stares up at the ceiling, taking deep breaths, hands and legs shaking as he tries to compose himself. He feels Gladio shake him, calling out at the little marvel that was held in front of him.

He hears a small cough, and immediate wailing – and he pushes himself up finally to lay his eyes on his daughter, screaming and waving her arms around like there was no tomorrow. He blinks in disbelief, tears forming in the corners of his eyes as he reaches out to her, Cira is placed against his chest, and he suddenly feels as though he could run a mile.

“Holy shit.” He gasps, “I did that.”

He looks down at his newborn daughter, already adorned with thick black hair atop of her head, her cries silenced after a moment of cooing from her father.

“Cira.”

 

* * *

 

 

While Noctis slept on and off, and the nurses came and left every now and then to check on him and the baby, Gladio got the honor of occasionally getting to hold her while she was admiring the world she was recently brought into. 

She’s still super red faced, and squished up – but he can’t look away.

Wrapping his head around the fact that she’s his kid, half of him, and that she’s eventually gonna grow up and share traits with him, it was too much for him to handle. She’s got a big tuft of black hair sticking up from her head, and she’s got this pout on her face that looks exactly like Noct’s and he feels his heart swell with love and pride. He can already tell that she’s got an Amicitia nose, and now he’s sitting beside Noct on the bed _crying_.

She’s just… so small, and her eyes are so full of curiosity and wonder. He manages to stick his pinky finger at her, and when she grabs on and squeezes him real tight he breaks out into laughter that was mostly crying.

He holds her close, trying not to let his tears fall on her squished little baby face, but turns his head only to find Noctis awake, and judging him harshly.

His lover looks exhausted, but he has a smile on his face that he wasn’t able to hide. He sits up, scooting closer to Gladio, resting his head against his shoulder, one hand, still stuck with an IV, pets through Cira’s funny looking hair.

“I can hardly believe it too.” He says, “Wow, like, twelve hours ago we were joking about how impatient I was to have her – guess she got tired of waiting too!”

Cira just looks confused at her parent, opting to yawn and close her eyes in protest of having to interact with any more people for the day. She’s just as tired as her parents from her long day of coming into the world.

“She scowls just like you do.” Gladio chuckles, “She’s like, an hour old, and she’s already judging us.”

“No mistaking her for anybody else’s kid.”

They share a laugh, and Gladio is forced to let go of their daughter while she sleeps – placed in the bassinet that had been prepared for her beforehand. They anticipate that she’ll be up in a few hours, but for now, they’d take all the sleep that they could get. Aside from a few medical necessities, it was like nothing even happened – and that Cira just magically sprung up in that bassinet with no evidence as to how. They also knew that their family and friends would be in to start a commotion once they were given the okay from the doctors – and that was a whole other can of worms that they’d open once it was time.

It’s hardly been two hours, and Noctis could already say that it was worth it – he couldn’t wait to spend the rest of his life with his daughter, and to see how she grew.

When Noctis wakes up again, Gladio’s already gone, presumably with the others in his living room. Cira sleeps soundly in the bassinet beside the bed, and he can’t help but smile, sitting up to get a better look at her. His attention is caught when there’s a gentle knock at the door, opening ever so slowly when two heads pop in.

Prompto meets Noctis’s eyes and immediately bursts into tears, practically throwing himself against his best friend, crying into his night shirt about how proud he was. He pulls away, taking one look at Cira, and he starts weeping some more, earning an exasperated sigh from Ignis, though despite his blindness, manages to greet the baby girl and shed some tears of his own. She stays asleep through the whole ordeal, earning some snide comments from his friends about how she’s already taking after him – and that he’ll be getting a taste of his own medicine in the years to come.

Noctis gives his friends the okay to take her from her sleep, since she’d be hungry when she woke up anyway, and hold her in their arms. They all remark that she’s already taking after Noctis quite a bit, though they all agree that she’s got Gladio’s nose, and possibly his more sun-kissed skin, but they’d figure that out when she wasn’t so damn red.

All in all, she was a perfect baby girl for a kingdom trying it’s best to reinvent itself – and boy was she going to popular around the citadel.

 

* * *

 

 

A new arrival in the kingdom meant that there was much to be done, and even though Noct was adamant about keeping things under wraps, he _did_ agree to some of the traditions within the kingdom. 

Namely a small celebration for Cira’s birth, and her crowning as Lucis’s new princess. Noctis did include Gladio in the royal service, as her father, and though it spouted a few useless rumors about a future royal wedding (that wasn’t in either of their plans,) it stayed relatively tame, and Cira was _excellent_ throughout it all, without any tears despite all the strangers surrounding her.

Something neither of them were anticipating, though, was that babies did grow much faster than they realized.

At now five months old, Cira had a _lot_ of hair, which wasn’t all that much of a shocker considering how much she had when she was born. She was learning how to sit up straight, and babbled _constantly_ , especially whenever she was around either Noctis or Gladio. She was especially popular with their friends, who were so entertained by her eagerness, and the fact that she had this incredible talent to perfectly replicate whatever expression she saw Noctis making. She slept soundly, through most nights, and was very responsive to her parents.

Being around faces she didn’t recognize too well, however, proved to be a bit of an issue – especially when both of her parents had to be out and away from her, and somebody other than Prompto or Iris had to look after her.

On the flip side, Noctis always set aside a few hours a day that was dedicated to Cira and only Cira. While he would be home with her for full days at a time, he would need to catch up on his readings, and whatever work he had piling up, so he made sure to give her his undivided attention at certain points during the day. He was always the one to feed her, change her, and put her to bed, unless Gladio got to it first.

They were both very attentive parents, and Gladio was absolutely smitten with his kid. For someone who refused to spoil, he sure as hell spoiled the hell out of their daughter, often returning home with gifts for her – most that she didn’t need, or playing with her for _hours_ on end. It was everything Noctis hoped it would be, _and_ more.

He loves his daughter with everything he’s got, and he only saw clear, sunny skies from here on out.

Noctis sits with her in his lap, helping her with some of the toys she had laid out in front of her. She’s carrying on a very interesting conversation with him, about ba’s and ma’s – probably how she’s fed up with _baby malbuddy_ and his antics on television. It’s the most domestic situation he’s ever seen himself in, but it’s nice for him – being able to spend time with his infant daughter, and making sure that she’s happy while she grows up.

She squeals loudly when Gladio exits the bedroom, after having just woken up from a well deserved sleep after a long day in the citadel with the crownsguard. Him and Noctis took turns being the one to wake up early, so whenever Gladio had his late nights, Noctis didn’t mind waking up after his alarm rather than hitting snooze 700 times.

He plops next to them on the floor, planting a sleepy kiss on Noctis’s cheek, going on to messy up Cira’s hair to which she tries swatting him away.

“Morning to you too, kiddo.” He laughs, batting one of her stuffed animals in her direction. “How you guys doing?”

“Well, _I’m_ good. Cira is fed up with malbuddy and his crap, though.”

As if to amplify his point, she starts babbling in Gladio’s direction, flailing her arms in an attempt to reach for him.

“I am too. He keeps getting himself into shit and refuses to pay the consequences. He’s a bad influence – we should have her watch _Chocobuddy Street_ instead.”

“Yeah, but she hates cactuars – and I swear, all the episodes are about that speedy little shithead recently.”

Noctis pauses, adjusting Cira on his lap, smoothing down her curly black hair.

“Maybe we should stop cursing in front of her – I don’t want her first word to be _shithead_.” He says, “Ah fuck.”

“You heard him, kid – that’s your dad. King of a whole country. Savior of the planet.” Gladio hides a smile when he goes to press a kiss to the top of Cira’s head, “The mouth of royalty.”

He laughs, raising Cira up onto her feet, helping her balance even though her tiny baby legs still couldn’t support any weight. She faces him now, allowing him to press kisses to her nose, earning giggles that quickly turned into her trying to pull on his hair.

“No cursing for you – not until you’re like, 13. That’s when I started.” Noctis lifts her to the air, unable to hold back his laughter as she squeals and smiles, waving her arms and legs. “Not in public, though. You’re royalty. So only when you’re in here.”

“Holy hell, Noct. Please – stop talking. Can I hold my daughter, please?”

He sticks his tongue out at his lover, giving Cira one more kiss before she’s handed over to her father, almost immediately trying to grab at his beard.

As she grew, the traits she shared with Gladio certainly began to show, even if it was only a few little things for now. The texture of her hair was certainly the same as Gladio’s – at least when he was younger, so he said, and her skin was a few shades darker than Noctis’s – and while she wasn’t quite Gladio’s skintone, she was definitely on her way there. Though she wasn’t all that big when she was born, she was rounding out with every passing day – growing faster than either of them anticipated. Another thing was her freakin’ eyebrows – growing in thick, and giving her the angriest baby face either of them have ever seen – it was painfully adorable.

Noctis watches as Gladio coos at her, pressing their noses together, blowing raspberries on her belly. Her laughter made his heart swell with happiness, watching the two bond.

It makes him think about how it all really _was_ worth it.

Sure, there was all that new royal stress, and there was the fact that he was really throwing himself out of his comfort zone to make it happen – but this picture-esque scenario he was watching right before his very eyes tugging on the strings of his heart to the point of tears was everything he could’ve ever dreamed of.

He doesn’t mind keeping her at his hip when he goes to sign documents, or having her sit in a playpen on the floor of his office while he gets work done. He thinks its painfully adorable when Gladio strolls around the citadel with her strapped to his chest, making sure that the newbies in the kingsglaive are on their toes, and laughing whenever Cira tries to imitate him when he gives orders. He knows that bringing her into this world was the right decision.

And he knows, without a doubt, that his dad would love Cira as much as he did.

“She’s been really good. Sleeping through the night.”

Noctis looks up to Gladio – he sets Cira back down on her baby mat, watching as she reaches for some of her toys to keep her entertained.

“I think we’re good at this. Having a kid was kind of a daunting concept, but I think we lucked out.” He says.

Noctis ponders for a moment, leaning in closer to his shield, head resting upon his shoulder.

“Guess it’s a good thing I avoided you knocking me up all those years. Probably would’ve been a disaster.” A chuckle, “ _But_ , I was right. You are great with kids – glad I followed that gut feeling. You’re a great dad.”

A smile spreads across Gladio’s face, tugging Noctis in real close much to his dismay, practically smothering his king in his chest, pressing kisses upon kisses atop of his head. Noctis tries swatting him away, and Cira squeals at the two in protest, her angry little baby eyebrows furrow together since they were interrupting her playtime.

“I love you, Noct. I’m glad we got to do this together – and I can’t give you enough credit for wanting to do that for us.”

The two remain close, the delightful sound of Cira’s babbling rings throughout the living room.

“Change her diaper more often and then we’ll consider it even.” Noctis flashes a grin, “And I love you too. More than I can express.”

Gladio leans in and swoops Cira from her spot on the floor, holding her up in between her parents, immediately pressing his nose into her chubby cheek.

“And _you_ – little miss heart stealer, are gonna have to deal with this for the rest of your life. So get used to it.” He gives a playful growl, peppering her with kisses, Noctis joining in despite her cries for salvation.

“God yeah – doesn’t this suck, kiddo?”

To their surprise, Cira breaks out into giggles – and their hearts melt yet again.

 

* * *

 

 

A tall, blue eyed princess sits outside of her father’s office while she waits for his meeting to finish. 

Noctis opens the door and meets her gaze with slight animosity. He told her he’d be done in just a minute, and that she should wait outside where all of the festivities were taking place.

It was a holiday in Lucis, with mass celebration taking place in Insomnia. It was the day that the sun came back, yet for the royal family, they took the day from a more solemn approach – a time to appreciate what they had, especially as it was known that Noctis’s sacrifice is what brought light back to Eos, and though he wound up surviving through the intervention of his friends and convincing some very stubborn astrals, it was still a reminder of the hardships that he faced.

Cira was told this story many times, and as she grew older, she began to really appreciate everything that he’s done for their country, and accepted her role as the heir to Lucis’s throne.

He holds a hand to her, assisting Cira up off the ground, always amused that, though only thirteen years old, she was nearly at his height.

“I told you to stay with your cousins outside, didn’t I?”

“Well, yeah, but I hate being around all that loud crap. I didn’t want to go to the parade without you and dad.” She pouts, hanging her head low. “We always go together.”

Noctis softens his expression, placing his hand atop her head, messying up her wavy black hair affectionately.

“I know, kiddo – but we had to do some paperwork. Top secret.”

“Does that mean I’m not allowed to know about it?”

“That’s right.” 

She groans, rolling her eyes as she melodramatically makes her exit down the hall, Noctis following closely behind.

As she grows, it turns out that she is a lot like Noctis in more ways than they could’ve imagined – from her quick and sarcastic tongue and her hatred of large crowds, to the softness in her eyes when she got to interact with a chocobo. But she was a tough kid – never backing down at _anything_. Gladio liked to joke that she was just giving Noctis a taste of his own medicine, that is, until she started to butt heads with _him_ too.

She was a pain in the ass, but she was _their_ pain in the ass, who brought happiness to their lives every waking moment she was apart of it.

Cira holds back a bit, allowing Noct to wrap an arm around her waist and pull her in close. He smiles, pressing a kiss to her temple as they make their way to the balcony they set up to watch the festivities from afar. He can tell that she’s biting back a smile, her head resting against his shoulder.

Her eyes light up when she sees Gladio waiting for the two of them by the door, taking off in his direction. Arms are open wide, and she practically topples him over. Gladio smiles, spinning her around – endless laughter coming from their daughter, the resemblance between the two uncanny whenever they stood next to each other.

“Baby, you’re gonna destroy me one of these days – I missed you too, but damn.”

“Sorry.” She gives a sheepish grin, shrugging her shoulders. “I didn’t get to see you _or_ dad last night.”

“Ah, well – it was busy.”

Noctis shakes his head, strolling forward after linking Gladio’s arm in his own.

“I don’t wanna miss any of the performances.” He says, leading the two outside.

The festival was always buffed up in terms of theatrics nearly every year, bringing the talented people of Lucis together to make some truly wonderful art. Things really settled down once the restoration process was complete – and they were able to live in true peace and harmony. They banded together with the other nations of Eos, working to make the planet inhabitable once again, and to flourish without the threat of the scourge or an empire to bring them down.

Though they _were_ busy gathering the preparations the day beforehand, Noctis and Gladio decided to take the night to themselves to celebrate fourteen years with the sun, and fourteen years since Noctis’s return.

The small family of three watch with enthusiasm as the parade begins circling the citadel, pointing out the over dramatized meeting with the astrals.

Noctis looks to Gladio, catching his gaze by mere accident, though it enables them to intertwine their hands, a very new, and very clunky piece of jewelry fits snug on Noctis’s finger, and they know that now is the best time to break the news to their daughter.

“Cira. Can we talk to you about something?”

The young princess switches her attention to her parents, eyes attentive as she looks back and forth between them.

“Yeah? What’s up? – Oh god, you’re not having a baby, are you? You’re too old – “

“ _Cira_.” Gladio rolls his eyes, shutting her up immediately.

“ _No_. I’m not going through that again.” A sigh as Noctis shakes his head, pushing his hair from his face. “It’s about that paperwork. I was helping uncle Prompto write out another publication – figured we’d tell you before it went live.”

Cira purses her lips together, folding her hands against her lap.

“Things have calmed down, quite a lot. And you’re a wonderful princess, sweetheart – so neither of us are worried about the future.” Noctis reaches forward, tucking a strand of curly black hair behind Cira’s ear, golden earrings dangling as his hand brushes against it. “So, we’re gonna do something a bit risky.”

“…Are you guys like, leaving me in charge of the whole country while you go out and explore the content?”

“ _No_.” Her parents say in unison.

“Thank god.”

A smile tugs at Noct’s lips, taking a deep breath to try and compose himself. He stands firmly by Gladio’s side, feeling his hand give his own a gentle squeeze.

“After _years –_ I finally convinced your father to marry me. And we’d like if you could bear our rings during the ceremony.”

Though it takes a minute for her to process, a grin spreads across her face and Cira practically throws herself at both of her fathers, wrapping her arms around them both tightly. She has tears flowing from her eyes, knowing that the battle for Noctis to get her stubborn bodyguard of a father to marry him was a long one that predated her birth. She has _no_ idea what could’ve changed his mind, but she doesn’t care.

“You’re gonna get married?!”

“Yeah – figured it was about time. Besides, your cousins are already overshadowing me, so why not take the opportunity to wear the ring and like, go on vacation.”

She plants a kiss on each of her parent’s cheeks, eyes shining with excitement.

“I’d _love_ to bring you your rings.” She says, “I love you both _so_ much – I’m so happy!”

Noctis wraps his arms around his daughter, squeezing her tight, tears peaking from his own eyes.

He can hardly believe it himself – though nothing was ever in his favor, and he thought from early on that he was doomed to fail, doomed to a fate worse than death, he managed to make it out alive and _thrive_ with the second chance that he was given. It didn’t seem like a reality he was deserving of; to stand side by side with his love, and to have been given a child of literal sunshine, but he was holding her here in his arms – and she was _real_ , as was all of his new life.

He pulls away, gazing into Cira’s bright blue eyes, wiping tears from his own.

“Thank you.”

Noctis steps back, facing both his fiancé and daughter, quiet for only a moment as he keeps himself from losing his composure once more.

“It would’ve been an awfully lonely future if it hadn’t been for the both of you in my life. And I can’t wait to share the rest of it with you.”

He’s pulled into Gladio’s chest, listening to his gentle laughter.

“I love you so much.”

Gladio presses a kiss to the top of his head, squeezing Noctis tight.

“Yeah, yeah – enough with the dramatics. It’s time to celebrate.”

**Author's Note:**

> follow me [tumblr](http://www.pepsipink.tumblr.com) & me [twitter](http://www.twitter.com/sodapopcore)


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